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Upcoming Events Reminder
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Oktoberfest
by Nikki
Every year we serve our traditional Oktoberfest meal. It is always one of the more popular seasonal specials that we do. Ray has been doing this for several years because it was something that Victor did so well at the Red Door. While we don't have our staff wear a fraulein or lederhosen, we still we feel that our german Oktoberfest is still one of the areas most authentic.
 So with our Oktoberfest fast approaching, we wanted to remind our customers to mark on the calender that our Oktoberfest special will be starting Tuesday, October 5th. It is going to be served every Tuesday and Thursday in October after 4pm while supplies last. The meal includes everything you see below for $15.50.
We will serve generous portions of all the following authentic german fare; kassler ripschen (smoked pork chop), eisben mit sauerkraut (pork hocks with sauerkraut), leberkaese (German veal loaf), knackwurst (German garlic sausage), bratwurst (mild white veal sausage), sauerkraut, red cabbage, and german potato salad. Don't forget to
order a Hofbrauhaus Munchen Oktoberfest Beer to go with your meal!
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| Uptown Playlist Theater |
Johnny A
by Kylene
 Coming up on Friday, October 15 is the Uptown Playlist Theater's first all instrumental show, featuring Johnny A and his trio. As we have mentioned before, Johnny A is a guitarist, born in Malden, Massachusetts. Growing up in Boston as a young child, he became interested in music at an early age, starting with the drums at age 6. Upon being exposed to the Beatles in 1964, at the age of 12, Johnny bought a $49 LaFayette Electronics guitar and started his life-long affair with the instrument.
After forming a band called The Streets and playing mostly in the Boston area, Johnny played with former Derek and the Dominoes keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, then began a seven year stint with The J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf. He played on Wolf's albums, and co-produced one of them, as well as joining him on world tours. In 1986, Johnny's band, Hearts On Fire, placed second in the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble only to be edged out by Gang Green. Gibson's Custom Shop designed a Johnny A Signature Edition guitar per his specifications, placing him in an exclusive club with B.B. King, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, and Les Paul himself.
Johnny's style often recalls the late great Danny Gatton as well as some aspects of Joe Satriani and Pat Martino. His style walks the fine line between rock, jazz, and blues, often employing copious use of the whammy bar, adding to the texture of his sound. One very unique aspect of Johnny's style is that he does not sing a note, as his performances are completely instrumental. Johnny explains that in the studio he uses much more restraint than playing live. He says he strives to ensure that his style passes the test of time. Among his musical influences, he cites The Beatles, Everly Brothers, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix and Les Paul, as well as others.
No one could contest that we are nothing less than privilaged to have a musician of this caliber visit our small venue here in LaSalle, Il. There are still tickets available for $15 each. Get your tickets now! Our other two October shows are sellouts!
They will also be available at the door the night of the show for $18, provided that they are not sold out by this time. We hope to see many of you there as it will definitely be a show to remember.
Watch Wichita Lineman
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Current Events
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Are we losing a tourist attraction? Low water in the canal for the Volunteer
by Jim
 Over the course of the last 3 years, the Lock 16 Visitors center and the Lasalle Canal Boat, the Volunteer, have become a fun and interesting tourist attraction in our area. There have been thousands that have taken the hour long mule -drawn trip down the Illinois Michigan canal so far, and we hope more will come. Guides dressed in Canal period clothing, explain what life was like back in the early 19th century and it is quite a suprise of the authenticity of not only the boat, but also the staff. During the relaxing ride, riders are given colorful information of how the canal has changed the way of life back then. You truly feel like you are taken back in time.
Unfortunately over the course of the last few years there have been several setbacks including having the I&M Canal parking lot and canal flooded twice in the midst of our areas tourist season and now this year with not enough rain, low water risks shutting down The Volunteer yet again.
Not only is this interesting, but also the Illinois Valley needs something like this; something to bring people to the area. It is truly a great way to spend an afternoon. The City of LaSalle back then played a distinct part in the evolution of other cities all along the canal. It is the starting point and to have something like this, makes it such an interesting place to be.
However, you already know that this year has been a very dry year. This has had a direct impact on the Illinois Michigan canal. This has spelled disaster for the Volunteer. Low water has not allowed the boat to operate for the last couple of weeks. Apparently, there had been a few pumps bringing water from the Illinois River up to the canal to keep it filled. They had been in place for several years. Unfortunately, the pumps have broke and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources does not have the funds to repair or replace them. Without the boat, the Canal Corridor Association, the group head of Lock 16, and the Volunteer, finds it hard to operate. The Corridor could be faced with grounding the boat, and without that income, be forced to close the visitors' center. Not only are their jobs at stake, but another link to creating Lasalle as a tourist destination is lost. The mayor of LaSalle, in a dire effort to help fill the canal with city water for the few remaining weeks of the boats season, was forced to shut the pump down. There was a disagreement if this should fall on the financial responsibility of the city, but the IEPA has forced the issue because of concerns about putting chemically treated water into the canal.Although, I do not know what the best answer may be, I do hope we do not let this one slip away. By bringing this to the city of LaSalle, I believe it has helped bring a lot of people to our area. While capitalizing on the assets we have, we need to come together to find the best answer to continue this tourist attraction.
As of Wednesday afternoon Illinois Cemet had stepped in and helped the Canal Corridor Association by using pumps to bring water into the canal from nearby back waters to help get the levels up where the boat can run. Tours were happening Wednesday afternoon. Thank you Illinois Cement!
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| Upcoming Event | Jazzfest
by Kylene |  Coming up on Saturday, October 9th, is LaSalle's annual Jazzfest, located downtown LaSalle on 1st St. Beginning at 4pm, there will be food as well as a wine and a micro brew garden, and closing the event with a fireworks display at 10pm.
Presented by St. Margaret's Health Clinic, Jazzfest is naturally a celebration of jazz music. This year there are three bands that will be featured. Playing first, is the Illinois Valley community College Jazz Band, beginning at 4pm and ending at 6:30pm. After the IVCC Jazz Band another jazz ensemble called Professor John will play. They will be playing from 6:30 till 8:00 pm. Harmonious Wail will be performing from 8:30-10:00pm. This four piece jazz band consists of "smoldering vocals laced among the jazzy mandolin and guitar in an infectious blend of continental jazz, swing, gypsy music and melodic vocals. As they are winners of multiple MAMA awards ranging from Best Jazz CD, Best Ensemble Vocalists of the year, Favorite Jazz Band, Best World Artist,and Best World Song, to Best Instrumentalist, Harmonious Wail (as seen in the picture above) has caught numerous listeners by surprise during its more than 20 year history. No one could contest that the enticing arrangements and sheer joy that the Wail brings to every performance is nothing less than addicting.
The annual Jazz'n The Street celebration has definitely become a fall favorite here in LaSalle County. Visitors can shop one-of-a-kind handcrafted and painted items directly from the artists, enjoy food, as well as sip locally crafted wines and upscale micro brews, while enjoying and listening to live jazz music outdoors all day....and its FREE!
As Uptown is a sponsor of the annual Jazzfest, we encourage our readers to visit downtown LaSalle on Saturday, October 9th and see for yourself what Jazz'n The Streets is all about. I think that if you have never been, you may be pleasantly surprised. For more information about Jazzfest, you can log onto www.lasallebusiness.org.
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In the News
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New Gift Card Lawsby Ryan
 At the end of August new legislation began for gift cards purchased on or after August 22nd, 2010. The gift card industry continues to become bigger and bigger with almost every restaurant or retail store now offering them. In the first half of 2010 alone, gift card sales in the restaurant industry rose 12.4% over the same period in 2009.
The new laws have been put in place to try and help protect the consumer from being taken advantage of when purchasing gift cards. For example; the monetary amount on the card must be honored for at least 5 years with no fees. Expiration dates are not allowed on gift cards anymore. Fees can still be processed on the gift card if the card remains dormant for a period of 12 months. After 12 months however, fees can only be charged to the gift card once every month. How many times in the last few years have you gone to use a $50 gift card only to find out it has $45 or $40 on it because of fees you were unaware of? Under the new rules, this can not happen for at least the first 5 years.
Reward cards are not considered gift cards and are still allowed to have 1 year expiration dates on them. So if you spend $100 at a store or restaurant and are rewarded with $10 or $15 in reward cards, those types of cards can have a 1 year expiration date on them. Whatever the rules of the card are, legislation states that those rules must be clearly marked or written on the packaging or on the card itself.
While the new laws do not effect us in anyway, as we are still honoring gift cards from 1985, it is something that consumers may just want to take note of.
Read More Here
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At the Bar
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Pomegranate Martini
by Regina
 A Pomegranate is a fruit-bearing shrub native to the Middle East, ranging from Iran to the Himalayas in India. Pomegranates are also cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and in California since 1769; when the Spanish first introduced the fruit to North America. In the mid-west the pomegranate is in season from September to February. The fruit is round and about the size of a very large apple. Breaking open the thick skin reveals a multitude of tiny, ruby red seeds. The riper the fruit: the sweeter the edible seeds are: although some people might like the tangy, sour taste of the fruit less ripened. Pomegranate juice
is another product of this fruit quickly gaining
popularity for its alleged health benefits.
Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants, quite possibly more antioxidant properties than red wine or green tea. These days you can find the pomegranate fruit in a variety of food and health products. A classic martini is made with gin and vermouth and almost always garnished with an olive. This versatile cocktail has become so popular, that one can find it made with just about any addition, from strawberries to chocolate. However, the pomegranate martini is one of the most popular cocktails in past years. It has a beautiful red color and an amazing taste. The pomegranate gives this cocktail a perfect balance between sweet and sour.
The Pomegranate Martini is a fairly new development in the cocktail world. The popularity of the pomegranate juice both for flavor and antioxidants made this one inevitable. Because this particular mixed drink is new, there are a lot of variations on it.
Pomegranate Martini
· 1 ounce vodka or gin
· ½ ounce Cointreau or the juice of one orange, lemon or lime
· 3 ounces pomegranate juice
Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with peel or a lime wedge.
The above version makes a very standard cocktail with the traditional 1.5 ounces of alcohol. To make this drink stronger, use 2 ounces of vodka or gin and 2 ounces of pomegranate juice. Some people use citrus-flavored vodka rather than plain. There's no end to all the ways you can play with this recipe and still come up with a fabulous drink - as long as you like pomegranate juice.
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Around the Industry
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Food Lover Links
by Ray
Potato chips from 1904 and today- The history of Saratoga Chips
Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is said to be the birthplace of potato chips, and the earliest recipe called for lard for frying. An updated recipe uses olive oil to produce the salty snack.
Read more ; nytimes.com
Will consumers accept genetically engineered salmon? -This will be interesting to follow
Seafood distributors and restaurant companies are keeping an eye on the FDA as the agency debates whether to approve genetically modified salmon for sale in the U.S. One big question: Will American consumers eat it? "We're following the developments closely, but it's too early to say whether this type of product would work in our restaurants," said a representative of Red Lobster owner Darden Restaurants. Read more ; cnbc.com
Bar food scales new heights - Many customers are saying the seats at the bar are the best seats in the restaurant
Bar food in the Boston area and elsewhere is no longer an afterthought, as restaurants work to lure consumers seeking small portions and lower prices. Chef Tiffani Faison, for example, serves fried gnocchi and pizzetta topped with grilled lamb in the bar at Rocca restaurant. Read more ; boston.com
Hearing set on San Francisco restaurant toy ban - Say goodbye to your happy-meals A proposed San Francisco law that would ban toy giveaways with fatty fast-food meals is set to get its first hearing on Monday, as restaurant industry representatives meet with city officials to voice their concerns about the plan. Read More ; mercurynews.com |
| Not Your "Everyday" Specials |
 Friday Nights, Seafood Mixed Grill
It includes a 4 oz lobster tail with drawn butter, 4 oz salmon filet with basil cream, and 4 oz whitefish parmesan with lemon caper butter. All for only $19.75
Monday Nights, Steak Diane
Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $13.75. This will be just like the Red Door Inn. With Victor's stamp of approval.
 Wienerschnitzel
Every Wednesday after 4pm, we will be serving authentic German Wienerschnitzel. Served with roasted asparagus, spaetzel and veal demi glaze it is only $11.75.
 Sunday, All Day,
Sizzling Sunday Fajita and Margaritas
You get a chicken fajita for two with a 64 ounce pitcher of margaritas for only $20! Imagine this on a Sunday afternoon on the patio or at a sidewalk table with the sunshine and a nice breeze! No, your not in Cabo, but it sure feels like it!
 A Lamb Lovers DelightEvery Saturday night after 4pm we will be serving slow roasted herb crusted leg of lamb with mint demi glaze. It will be served with our mashed potato of the day and roasted cauliflower topped with parmesan cheese. $19.50 Prime RibAvailable after 4pm every Friday and Saturday night is our herb crusted prime rib of beef. Our prime rib is slow roasted for several hours in our 1980's alto shaam. It is served with au jus, mushrooms and your choice of side dish.
Available in 12oz $18.75 or 16oz $21.75 |
| On Special This Week | |
White Sicilian Anchovies
Curry Dusted Calamari
Blackberry Point Oysters on the Half Shell
Oysters Casino
Stone Ground Mustard Steak and Arugula Salad
Panini Sandwich with Sopressata, Roasted Red Peppers and Provolone Cheese
BBQ Meatloaf Sandwich
12 oz Top Sirloin Steak with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Portobello, Button, Shiitake, and Oyster Mushrooms
Beef, Lamb, and Pork Tenderloin Trio with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Broccolini
Butternut Squash Ravioli with brown sage butter
Curried Shrimp and Asian Rice Noodles
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Win a Free Lunch
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Foodie Fight Free Lunch Contest
 Each week in the newsletter we will ask 3 questions from the foodie fight cards. The first person to email us (see link below) the correct answers to all 3 questions will receive a complimentary lunch. The winner has to have the correct answer for all 3 questions, no exceptions! The following week we will publish the correct answers and the winner of the previous week. So come in and have a drink, study the cards, test each other and have fun. Good Luck!
1. What are known as "black diamonds" and located by pigs and dogs in the Umbria region of Italy?
2. What queen got her start in Joliet, Illinois?
3. What thickener will actually thin under conditions of too much heat, vigorous stirring, or a too-long cooking time?
email your answers to foodiefight@uptowngrill.com
Fine Print...
You must be the first person to respond with all three correct answers.
The response must go to the email address in the above link.
You must reply within 24 hours from the time the newsletter is published.
Participants are eligible to win a limit of 3 times a year.
Last Week questions and answers....
1. What Jewish dish was originally prepared by making a mixture from fish flesh and stuffing it back into the fish skin before cooking? GEFILTE FISH
2. What Latin American appetizer consists of raw fish "cooked" in citrus juice? SEVICHE
3. What stadium food of today did Julius Caesar introduce to Rome in 48 B.C.? SAUSAGE
Last weeks winner of the free lunch ........ Diane Janz
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Uptown Grill
601 First St.
La Salle, Il 61301
815-224-4545
Mon - Thur 11 am to 10pm - Fri & Sat 11 am to 11 pm
Sun Noon to 10 pm
Uptowngrill.com
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UPtown UPdate Archives |
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